This disclosure relates to devices, such as cameras and sensors, used in motor vehicles. In particular, this disclosure relates to devices that are deployable with the movement of a cover using a linkage assembly.
Many motor vehicles now come equipped with some variation of a camera and sensor system to provide real-time monitoring or viewing of an area near the motor vehicle. For example, cameras, sensors, or both are often positioned on the front of the vehicle or on the rear of the motor vehicle. The cameras and sensors can detect the areas surrounding the car that are not otherwise viewable with the conventional mirrors. Such cameras and sensors can be used to assist the vehicle operator in parking or maneuvering the vehicle during normal operation, although they are certainly not limited to this specific use.
To provide a consistent field of view, many camera and sensor systems do not include a cover and are fixedly directed at the space they are intended to monitor. However, uncovered cameras and sensors are prone to dirt exposure, stone chipping and theft.
To better protect or hide the camera, sensor, or other device, some systems provide a mechanism for hiding the device within the vehicle when they are not in active use. As one conventional example, a cover may pivot on a single axis to uncover and expose the camera or sensor that is received beneath it.
While a pivoting cover may accommodate a simple uncovering of the device, in many instances the cover may cause the cover ornamentation, such as a manufacturer logo, to be obstructed from viewing in the open state and may still restrict the field of view. Accordingly, the systems that use a pivoting cover often require an additional second actuation of the device to move the device to a position in which it has an unobstructed field of view. However, achieving this certainly complicates the assembly as there are now two items that are separately driven and this frequently requires two actuators: one to actuate the cover and another to actuate the device.
Further, introducing a movable camera or sensor creates an entirely new set of potential problems as the position of a camera or sensor can be highly sensitive; that is, even small mechanical adjustments can result in significant changes in the viewing area. In assemblies with movable components, as the components are repeatedly moved from a retracted position to a deployed position and back again, the various assembly components may wear or small changes to the components such as the actuator may occur and may cause the range of motion to increase or decrease overtime. Additionally, even small vibrations or other sudden outside forces (from, for example, backing a vehicle up) might jar the camera or sensor in a way that causes the position of the camera to shift. Thus, reliably and repeatedly driving the device to a specific position that captures the desired field of view or location surrounding the vehicle is problematic in current systems. This problem is only exacerbated in systems in which multiple camera field of view amalgamation is required.
Thus, there remains a need for improved camera and sensor assemblies for vehicles.